Meliora Weekend 2003
An ‘Innovative’ Place
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| Tina Patil and her daughter, Namisha, get a taste of virtual reality at the Exploratorium, a showcase of new technologies and scientific discoveries at Meliora Weekend 2003 (Photo: Elizabeth Torgerson-Lamark). |
Before he celebrated his 50th alumni reunion, Allen Roggen ’53 took time out to get a new perspective on his alma mater.
“One of the biggest treats of the weekend was finally getting a chance to go to the top of the Rush Rhees tower,” said Roggen, who as a part-time flight instructor from Caledonia, New York, is used to seeing a bigger picture. “It’s amazing how much of the campus and the city you can see from up there.”
Roggen was one of several thousand alumni, parents, students, and guests who learned about new ways of seeing the world during Meliora Weekend last fall. Guided by the theme of “innovation,” the annual College celebration featured sessions on science, the arts, politics, journalism, and other fields.
The three days also included Family Weekend, Homecoming, the Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta, and Reunion.
Other Fall Celebrations: Medical Center Welcomes Alumni
Deborah German ’79M (Res), the CEO of St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, presented the annual George M. Engel Memorial Lecture at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Hank Gardner ’65M (MD), a founder of the Internet-based health information services company Options & Choices Inc., presented the annual 45th Annual Clare Dennison Lecture at the School of Nursing as part of the Medical Center’s Reunion Weekend last September.
“I’ve spent the weekend reminiscing, including visiting my old dorm room in Morgan 408,” said Donna Wolff Howell ’73, who arrived from Atlanta for her 30th reunion. “It looked pretty much the same except there are boys living there now.”
For Irma Rosen Wiener ’54, who was looking forward to hearing from dancer Garth Fagan and poet John Ashbery, the weekend was a reminder of her connections to Rochester.
“Two of my children went to the medical school, so we have a long history here,” she said.
